Shadows of the Past
by Luv2Game
Summary: /AJ/ The past can creep on you unexpectedly. Valant knows this all too well. He is further reminded of this fact when he takes on a new job. The past is something you just can't escape, no matter how you may feel. :Valant Centric/ Troupe Gramarye:
1. Familiar Stranger

_**A/n:**_ Why are there no Valant piece on here? Where's the Valant Gramarye love? Surely I'm not his only fan... Yeah, it's pretty obvious where this is going- I come bearing a Valant centric. Kinda. It's set a couple of days before **case three **of _Apollo Justice_, though it includes snippets of the magician's troubled past, as well as a cameo from Lamirior. Why not torture the poor guy a little more?

Troupe Gramarye so needs more back story. XD

_**Disclaimer:**_ The _Ace Attorney_ series is not mine. Nope, I don't own a single right.

Oh, and there's some implied/one sided Valant/Thalassa, 'cause not only does Valant need more love, his one sided...love also needs more... love. Ha!

_Chapter One: Familiar Stranger_

_**xxxx**_

Weaving his way through the cluttered hallways of the stadium, Valant Gramarye couldn't keep a bounce from his steps. Today was bound to be a good day. He would be practicing one of his greatest illusions, and any day that magic was involved was a good day.

And lately, the number of good days were nearly non-existent.

Being a magician wasn't the most glamorous profession, despite it's glitzy shine, and the call for magical entertainment was becoming a rarity. Though he had once been a part of one of the most world-renowned troupes, that was a thing of the past. He was reminded of the bitter truth every time he awoke to a tiny apartment and a blank answering machine.

To be in these hallways, surrounded by workers preparing for the big Gavinners concert was like a calming balm to his soul. Tricks of the mind were his specialty, his passion, and to be hired on because of his skill brought a much needed reprieve from his usual bland days.

Continuing through the hallways, side-stepping crates full of wires and boxes of supplies, Valant glanced down at the map in his hands. He was close to the center stage, his destination for the day. He hadn't been on an actual stage in years, and even today he wouldn't be the star of the show. He didn't mind, really. His client would be the main attraction, but it would be because of his talent and that was enough for him.

Folding up the layout of the stadium, Valant turned down a small corridor, thoughts straying to his mystery client. He had never met them, or even heard their voice. Klavier Gavin had been the one to hire him, and the rock star had only told him the name and occupation of his charge. Supposedly she was a singer by the name of Lamirior, famous in her native land; some little place called Borginia, or something similar. That was the basic extent of his knowledge, and he couldn't help but wonder why someone who was apparently so famous would have so little information available.

Not that it really mattered. Famous or not, she would be learning a great trick today. Valant only hoped this Lamirior was up to the task. His illusion would not be an easy one.

Smirk stretching across his face, Valant reached the end of the long hallway, stepping out of the cluttered space and onto a grand stage. It was large. Not quite as big as some of the stages he had stood on in the past, but it was impressive. Hard concrete spanned out to the other side of the wall, an elevated platform in the middle of the area. Beams of lights hung behind him, illuminating a bandstand. Rows and rows of chairs were bolted out in front, capable of sitting hundreds of people. The sight, even devoid of excited fans, brought back scores of memories.

Booted feet thumping against the cold floor, he walked out onto the structure, gaze fixed on the empty stadium. How many times had he walked out onto a stage similar to this one, bright lights shining down on him and people cheering in the audience? He could still feel the excited tingle in his fingertips, the accelerated beat of his heart. Every time he had walked onto a stage, his goal had been the same: to wow and dismay. And every time he had walked off of a stage, he had felt as though he had accomplished his task.

Stopping near the foot of the stage, Valant lowered his staff, his trusty stage prop that had been with him since the beginning. Even though seven years had passed since Troupe Gramarye's height of fame, he still half-expected his partners to come out from the shadows and join him. Countless months had gone by, and a part of him was still looking for Zak and Thalassa.

Time had continued it's journey, yet he still couldn't silence that jolt in his chest or that spark of electricity.

"Excuse me?"

Jolted out of his musings, Valant turned toward the gentle voice, yellow cape billowing behind him as he moved. So focused on the stage, he had failed to see the figure leaning against the bandstand. Now he was so startled by the voice, he failed to notice his staff fall to floor.

That voice. It was so eerily familiar. Valant knew that he was gaping, but he couldn't gain control of his motor skills to remedy the rude gesture. In all of his forty-four years of life, he had never once heard a voice that was so kind and soft except for once. And it was impossible for him to be hearing that voice again.

"Tha- Thalassa?"

The woman standing near the back of the stage stepped forward, though her steps were hesitant. "I'm sorry, who?"

Still unable to take command of his reflexes, Valant stared, wide-eyed, at the figure before him. Her robes of blue silk nearly hung to the ground, delicate designs embroidered into the fabric. A thin veil of matching lace covered the lower portion of her face, but the material did little to hide the subtle beauty behind it, or the familiarity. As he remained motionless, a delicate hand came to rest near her chest, fingers toying with a turquoise brooch attached to her white dress. Long brown hair framed her curved cheekbones as pale blue eyes scrutinized him.

"Sir?"

Valant felt his breath leave him and his heart kick into over-drive as his mind screamed at him to stay something. This woman couldn't possibly be Thalassa. If wishing someone into existence was feasible, then seven years would not have gone by without her. If thinking of someone would make them appear, then Zak should come strutting out onto the stage and claim his place at her side. It was simply impossible for this woman to be Thalassa, no mater how much she looked like her.

Trying to ignore the heaviness of his own tongue, Valant regained use of his body, stuttering out, "I-I'm sorry, Madame." Realizing his hands were empty, he fumbled for his fallen staff, quickly retrieving it and walking towards the baffled woman, common sense telling him that she must be his client and not his long-lost partner. "You must be Miss Lamirior," he greeted, his usually strong voice wavering just a bit.

With a slight bow, cape outstretched with his staff, he offered her his free hand, adding, "I am Valant Gramarye, your guide into the world of tricks and illusions." Shaking of the potent feeling of deja-vu, he offered her a smile, voice once again it's natural active.

Though her intent gaze was still focused on him, Lamirior returned his smile, resignation dawning on her features and lighting up her face. Fingers sweeping over his hand, she grasped it in greeting.

"Oh, Mr. Gramarye. I was beginning to wonder if I had wound up on the wrong stage." Her words were not condescending but friendly, and Valant nearly found himself blushing, something he hadn't done in a good fifteen years.

Or since he had met Thalassa, a tiny voice murmured. He tried to tune it out, reminding himself that he was here for business and that he had a job to do.

"Forgive me," he interjected, "I thought you were... I was simply mistaken. And please, none of that 'Mr. Gramarye' non-sense. It makes me feel older than I already am."

Lamirior continued to smile, nodding her head in understanding. "All right then, Valant. But only if you drop the 'miss'. I can't even remember the last time someone referred to me as that."

"Someone as lovely as yourself?" The words left his mouth before he could even think them over. The familiarity and gentleness of the woman tugged at him, and the result made Valant want to pull his top-hat over his face. To his relief, however, Lamirior didn't seem to notice the crimson streaking up his neck.

"Tricks and illusions, indeed," she quipped, brushing away his comment as her fingers once again found her brooch. Glancing away from him, she muttered, "Though there is quite a bit that I can't remember." For a brief moment, a shadow passed over her face and the tranquility she emitted faltered, a sad air washing over her presence.

Though as quickly as it appeared, it fled, and she left Valant with little time ponder the sudden change in her demeanor. Offering him another kind smile, she looked directly at him, softly adding, "I thank you for the compliment, but I must be frank with you, Mis- Valant. My position in my native country is fragile, and I have an image that I must maintain. Mr. Gavin tells me that you are a great magician and I know that to perform this concert, I will need your assistance. But I must be able to trust you, do you understand?"

As her gentle, yet strangely unnerving, eyes continued to rest on his face, Valant felt his heart steadily pick up rhythm. His throat felt as though it was full of cotton and his tongue felt like it was velcroed to the roof of his mouth. It wasn't because she was a lovely women, though beautiful she was; he had encountered many women in the seven years since his troupe disbanded. It was the _familiarity_ of her. It was the way _he_ was reacting to her, a woman he had just met but felt as though he had known forever. It was the _emotions_ she evoked, emotions that only one other woman had made him feel.

And it was simply impossible for this woman to be _her_.

Tampering down every jumbled and confused thought in his mind, Valant focused on the question Lamirior had asked of him and reminded himself that he was here to work. That he was simply mistaken and that the women standing before him was his client, nothing more and nothing less. Knowing that Lamirior was waiting for his response, Valant forced himself to nod mutely. When that didn't seem to suffice, he manged, "I'm a magician. Keeping secrets is my job."

Lamirior continued to stare, weighing his words. She didn't seem fazed by the slight shake of his hand or the equally hard stare he was giving her. Instead she appeared relieved, a small grin turning up her lips as she admitted, "Good, because I'll need you to truly be my guide into the worlds of tricks and illusions. You see... I'm blind."

_**xxxx**_

Shuffling down the dimly lit side-walks of his familiar neighborhood, Valant felt as though his feet were tied to sandbags and his shoulders weighted with heavy stones. The positive, jovial mood he had left home with was as extinct as his days in Troupe Gramarye. He longed to recapture that bright hope he had felt hours before, but it simply eluded him, tauntingly outside his grasp.

Just like everything else in his life.

Just like _her_.

Today should have been a happy one. It should have been a day full of magic and joy. In a way, it had been. Lamirior, despite her blindness, had been an excellent pupil and had caught on to the routine swiftly. She had been a pleasure to work with, her gentle voice never once complaining about the difficulties the trick required. In fact she had been rather excited, despite having to crawl though a cramped air-duct while singing effortlessly all the while.

As skilled and willing as she was, however, the illusion required more practice, so they were to meet tomorrow at the same location and time. The prospect of continuing his work should have filled Valant with the same peace he had felt earlier that day. The prospect of bringing in some money that would actually amount to something while performing his trade should lighten his steps, not cause them to falter.

But it didn't. Because though Lamirior was a joy to work with, she brought back too many memories. She evoked thoughts and feelings that he hadn't felt in years- things that he didn't want to feel or think. He had spent these last seven years trying to forget the past and move on. He wanted to forge anew, not live in the shadows of something that was to never be again. Today was supposed to finally be the start of something grand.

Now he could only think of the past.

And the past was not a pleasant thing to think on. Admittedly, it did have it's bright patches, and Troupe Gramarye was a very big part of his happiness. Yet at the same time, the one place that he had been a part of something good was also the source of his downfall. When the Troupe had been at the heights of it's fame had been some of the most amazing days of his life. They're had constantly been a show to perform and a crowd to wow. And amaze them he had.

He hadn't been alone; Zak and Thalassa had been right beside him. Or, in actually, he had been beside them. Zak had always been the brightest star in their little group, and Valant had always trailed along behind him. It hadn't bothered him too much, Zak had always been a friend. They're had always been a bit of rivalry between them, but it wasn't bitter. Not in the beginning. It was just unspoken. Thalassa had been the quieting factor, she had been the glue that kept them all together and in line.

The Troupe had been his family. Magnifi Gramarye was a genius in the field of magic and he and Zak had been the pupils. Thalassa had grown up in the world of illusions, she was just as much a teacher as her father. His days had been full of activity and enjoyment, and he had learned so very much in those seven years.

To know that those years were behind him, never to be captured again, left an ache in his chest. To know that _she_ was no longer here...

To know that it could possibly be by _his_ own hand...

He treasured his days in the Troupe, but sometimes he wished they had never happened. During the height of their career, when they'd had multiple performances every day and happy guests after each curtain close, they had lost Thalassa in a rehearsal shoot. It had been such a routine trick- one they had performed countless times. Yet, somehow, something had gone terribly wrong and left a irreparable hold in Troupe Gramarye. With Thalassa gone, the seam that had held them all together unraveled, and the Troupe never recovered from the blow.

With the passing of Thalassa, Zak changed. He was no longer the same jovial, loud, slightly egotistical Zak he had once been. With his wife no longer around, he seemed to care about little. Valant knew that he had been no better than Zak. Thalassa had always been the brightest star in his eyes, and with her gone, the Troupe just wasn't the same. Magnifi had always been a demanding leader, but without his daughter, he had gone on a tyrannical rampage, even using the circumstances of Thalassa's death over them and forcing them to continue in the field.

Her death... Thalassa's death had been horrible. And he still didn't know exactly what had happened. He and Zak had been practicing the routine as usual, blank shells in their guns as they fired the bouncing shots, Thalassa in the middle of the stage as always. One moment she had been standing there, the next she had crumpled on the concrete. Seconds later Magnifi had been there, shouting that they get out and call an ambulance. It had all happened so fast, yet it was something Valant would never forget.

Not that Magnifi had ever given him an opportunity. And though they had continued performing, as instructed, their act had never been the same, and slowly the days of Troupe Gramarye had trickled away like a light bulb slowly losing it's glow.

So many things happened after Thalassa's accident- a falling out between Zak and Valant, Magnifi's blackmail and eventual death, Zak's disappearance, the missing rights to Magnifi's magic, which Zak took along with him- it all resulted in a bitter fall for Troupe Gramarye. And it all began the day Thalassa died.

His days in Troupe Gramarye held his happiest memories, but they also housed his most terrible. Memories that he didn't want to relive anymore. Memories that he tried his best to escape, but followed him relentlessy nonetheless. Memories that he thought he would be able to escape with his newest job, but were now just as clear as the days he lived them.

Digging his keys out of his pocket, Valant turned the lock on his door, suddenly very glad to be in his tiny home and away from the darkness of night. Kicking his door shut, he all but threw himself on his couch, closing his dark eyes and trying to silence his mind. He didn't have time to dwell on the past; his future was still stretched out before him. He still had a job to do. Magic was still his livelihood, and he still had tricks left to perform.

He didn't have time to live in the shadows of his past.

No matter how bright those shadows were.

_**xxxx**_

_**A/n:**_ I could have gone on with the back story, but... I don't wanna go crazy. Troupe Gramarye has so much potential to be a soap opera. Think about it! It's such a cheesy drama. But I love them just the same. Writing angsty Valant was fun, even though I feel sorry for the poor guy. Lamirior was hard to pin down, and I probably failed, but I enjoyed it anyway. Heh!

About Lamirior telling Valant she's blind... I can't imagine him not knowing. I mean, he had her crawl though an _air_ _duct_. She'd need a little help. I even played case 4-3 over again to see if it's ever implied he knows, and they just leave it alone. So... I took some liberties. Thanks to **laughafterpain **for sharing her thoughts with me on the subject.

I'm _really_ tempted to make this a two-shot... And I probably will. Feel free to let me know how you felt about this here, and if you enjoyed it, stay tuned for another chapter. I do loving hearing from readers.

-_ L2G_


	2. Impossible Shadow

_**A/n:**_ Alaka- I'm back! Guys, every one of you who said 'Alaka-anything' made me laugh. So crafty! Thanks so much for that. And, of course, thank you for the lovely comments. Here's that second half I said would be up. Hope you enjoy.

That last chapter was angsty, this one is a little happier- for Valant, at least.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I still don't own the rights to _Ace Attorney_. If I did, we'd definitely have more back story on the Gramarye's.

_Chapter 2: Impossible Shadow_

_**xxxx**_

The steady drone of an alarm clock bounced off of stark white walls. A groan soon followed the sound and sluggish hand fumbled to hush the familiar tune. Slapping down the snooze button, Valant allowed his arm to dangle over the side of the bed as his eyes adjusted to the morning light peeking between his curtains.

Had the alarm clock buzzed a few months back, he would have allowed it to screech on and just ignored it.

After his grand trick at the Gavinners concert had been performed, he'd had little reason to get out of bed; his career had gone right back on stand-by. It had been no different from the last seven years. He had trudged on in hopes of finally gaining his magic once more, but had again been denied the gold medal and left to stand on the side-lines. Just as he had been denied the gold seven years ago. Nothing had changed. He would have wallowed in self-pity and probably never left his tiny apartment again had Phoenix Wright not showed up in his life once again.

Wright had been apart of his life once before, seven years ago after the death of Magnifi. He had, in a sense, contributed to down-fall of Valant, trying to pin the death of the great magician on the young apprentice. Though Valant hadn't ended the old man's life, he had been guilty of being led by darkness and tampering with the crime scene in hopes of pining the deed on his partner. His goal hadn't been accomplished, Zak had pulled the greatest illusion ever and fled the court house. Magnifi ended his life with his own hand. Both men of the Troupe were gone, and Valant had been the only one left standing, alone and accused of murder, with no magic and a lone goal: obtain Magnifi's magic.

He had forged on, performing shows here and there, biding his time and waiting for his chance to inherit the Gramarye magic. His time had come soon after his Gavinner show. He had pinned and sought after that day since the Troupe's fall. When it had finally arrived, he had been giddy as a school boy. He had prepared one of the most extravagant shows in the history of magic- his return would not be a quiet one.

Or so had been his intentions. Turned out, his return was not to be at all. Phoenix Wright had once again popped into his life, delivering him a letter containing the the rights to Magnifi's magic. Only the bearer was Zak's daughter Trucy, and not Valant Gramarye. That news had been his undoing. The one thing he had been waiting for was not to be his. And the guilt over tampering with his mentor's crime scene and intention to blame his partner had been weighing heavily on him for years; with no magic to be had and a burden to be lifted, Valant had turned himself in to the authorities after his meeting with Phoenix.

He had thought it would be his end, but it had turned out to be his beginning. His confession had landed him in jail and though the act had been committed seven years ago, it was a crime nonetheless. He supposed he would still be sitting in that jail cell that was, somehow, even smaller than his apartment if he hadn't been visited by Trucy Wright and Apollo Justice. Justice had managed to get him out of the cell and on community service. He would probably be serving the community for rest of his days, but he had to admit that being outside was much better than sitting in a dingy little cell, even if the world held little for him.

Trucy had had different intentions. She didn't think her 'uncle' Valant should just toil his days away and live to pay back his debt to society. She thought that he should share his love of magic with the world. She thought that he should join her.

Even now, months after the fact, Valant could scarcely believe that Trucy had wished for him to join her. He had known the girl since she was born, and had always felt love for the child, but after her mother had died and the Troupe had begun to unravel, he had been guilty of neglecting her. After Zak had disappeared and he had been detained on suspicion of murder, he had barely had time to spare the young child a second thought. When he had learned that Phoenix Wright had taken her in, he had felt relief. How could he have cared for a child when his career was no more and he had to constantly pick himself off of the floor?

But Trucy didn't seem to hold the past above his head as her grandfather had. She had come to him, the same bouncy, energized little Trucy he remembered, asking him is he would like to perform with her. She had wanted her uncle Valant to step on stage with her and once again wow crowds with the magic of Troupe Gramarye. She was not bitter. She wasn't scorned. She was a fifteen-year-old girl seeking to help someone that had once been a large part of her life.

Phoenix had done an excellent job of raising a mature and compassionate daughter, and Valant hadn't been able to refuse her earnest request.

Dragging a hand across his face, Valant didn't have much trouble pulling himself out of bed and walking into the adjoining bathroom. He didn't have a show to perform today, but he did have a practice meet with Miss Trucy. In a way, he enjoyed the practices more than the actual performances. He found that being with Trucy was so much like his days in the Troupe, when he and Zak could laugh together and Thalassa could smile with them.

His days were suddenly bright and full, and he wasn't concerned with shadows at all.

_**xxxx**_

People lined the sidewalk, some briskly walking towards their destination, others taking their time and chatting amiably. Groups pushed through one way, others turned and walked in the opposite direction. The stores that sat along the sidewalks were alive with activity as people flooded the shops, the warm sun and bright sky leading people out of their homes and into the city. And while most were there to shop, one was there to merely watch.

Thalassa Gramarye sat on a bench near one of the buildings, legs crossed at the ankle as she observed the many people walk up and down the sidewalk. Strange as it may seem to watch strangers pass her by, Thalassa enjoyed the activity, a happy smile spread across lips. Had she been sitting on this bench a few months ago, these people with unfamiliar faces would have had no faces at all, and she would still have no memory of her true self.

For the past seven years she had been living as Lamiroir, seeing only darkness and memories a fog as thick as the night she saw. Her world had been nothing but a blank void, though her singing voice had propelled her into a bright spotlight she could not see. She had lived in a constant blur, unable to remember something as simple as her name but able to memorize countless ballads. Her life had been full of adventures, but her heart had been as empty as her mind,

Now she sat along the storefronts, her eyes open to the world as her memories slowly crept towards the light of day, All because one man sought her out and helped her reclaim that which she had lost. Phoenix Wright had come to her, offering her the key to her own being. And because of him, she could see the people that walked by her, not just listen to their varying footsteps. She could remember that her name was Thalassa Gramarye, and that she was a mother to two children that had no idea who she was.

Though some of the memories that came back to her were over-whelming, she was thankful for the emotions they brought. At least she could remember. She no longer had to live in darkness and confusion; she could see her life as it had been before becoming Lamiroir.

And what a life she had been given.

She had been born to a man who was a genius in the field of magic. Magnifi Gramarye could perform feats that left your mind reeling with the complexity and wonder it involved. Her father had been a great man. She had followed in his footsteps, wanting to be like him in every way. He could be demanding at times, strict and harsh, but she had always known that he loved her. Sometimes they would practice so long into the night that she would have dreams of the trick, sometimes she had wanted to through down her staff and walk away from the demands he would ask, but she had never doubted his love.

When he had decided to bring two apprentices into their troupe, she had been a little put-off by the idea. She hadn't been able to understand why her father needed more magicians, why she alone wasn't good enough. But when Zak and Valant had appeared, she'd wondered why she had even been opposed to the idea. Zak, with his charming smile and bigger-than-life attitude had immediately won a place in the spotlight and Valant, with his firm confidence and intricate mannerisms had been right behind him. Both men had easily won a place in her heart. Their troupe had soared to new heights.

Looking back, she realized how wonderful those days had been.

But at eighteen, you could rarely see what you had in front of you. And though she had loved Troupe Gramarye dearly, she had wanted to spread her own wings. She had thought she would do that by herself, without anyone else. But somehow she had wound up with another group of magician- not nearly as popular as her own but full of heart- and in the arms of a young man with a heart as large as his troupe's. She had married the man, much to chagrin of her father, and had her first child soon after. It had all happened so quickly, but she had been happy and her life had been so full.

Her happiness had been short lived. Her husband had been killed in a stunt gone wrong, barely a year after their baby Apollo had been born. Her life had gone from a joyous ride to a slow-motion horror. Her husband's troupe had disbanded soon after his death and Thalassa had been alone with an infant to care for. She knew she could go back home, back to Troupe Gramarye, but she didn't want to- she didn't want to go crawling back and looking like a failure. Widowed with a child and only nineteen? The media would have a field day, and she couldn't run her father's dream into the dirt.

So she did the only thing she thought she could do- she gave her baby boy up for adoption. She now realized how immature she had been; her father, hard as he could have been, wouldn't have condemned her. Zak and Valant certainly wouldn't have looked down on her. Troupe Gramarye had been her family, they wouldn't have sent her away or mocked her. She hadn't been able to see that truth at the time, however, and had given up the sweetest thing life had given her.

She had then returned to her troupe, and things had eventually gone back to the way they had been. Her father had still expected perfection, Zak had still been the imposing figure on stage, and Valant had still possessed his confident flare. She had filed right back between the two men and it had been like she had never left. In the public eye, at least. On the inside she had been a mess, full of tears and regret, longing for something she could no longer hold. She had been in such a slump and had had little intention of pulling herself out of it.

Zak and Valant had decided to help her instead. They had, slowly, lifted her out of her hole and set her feet on solid ground. Zak had pushed her on with his wide grin and booming voice, constantly telling her she couldn't give up and had to keep living. Valant had been on her other side, reminding her who she was and what she could be. Her life had eventually brightened once again, and she had been able to smile.

And once again she had found herself in love with a magician, though this time he was much closer to home. Years after her return to the troupe she married Zak and had another child, a daughter named Trucy. With the birth of her second child, Thalassa had finally felt truly at peace, and she had been the happiest she had been since returning home. The next eight years had been filled with unspeakable joys.

Why her life had to once again take a turn for the worse was something she would never be able to understand. Their training practice- one they could do with their eyes closed- had left her with a bullet in her head and her memories ripped away from her. Her life as Thalassa had been forced to end when things had been so wonderful.

For seven years she had lived in darkness, unaware of her past and living day-to-day as Lamiroir. Now she could open her eyes and once again be herself. She could remember so much of her past, of being Thalassa. She could remember so very much.

But she could touch nothing. While she slept, life moved on. Her troupe was no more. Her father was no longer with her. Zak, too, was gone. They had left her, moved on from this life and into the next. Trucy was a fifteen year old girl who thought her mother was dead. Apollo was now twenty-two and he probably spared her little thought.

She was finally able to remember who she was, but Thalassa Gramarye might as well have stayed Lamiroir- her life as Thalassa had ended seven years ago.

Sighing, Thalassa shook her head, flicking away her bleak thoughts and staring up at the summer sky. She could clearly see the vast blue, the puffy clouds floating lazily. Yes, life had moved on around her while she slept in a fog, but now she had a chance to catch up. Her life had been on pause for the past seven years, now she needed to press play.

Standing, she smoothed out her white sundress, reminding that just because she was a little late, being there was better than never showing up at all. Phoenix Wright had given her the key to her life, and now she had to open the door.

Slipping into the crowd, Thalassa easily kept pace. She wasn't entirely sure she was going, she only knew she could no longer sit on that bench and allow herself to dwell on the past. Pulling her purse closer, she thought about heading into one of the many shops and picking up a little something for her children. They didn't know her as their mother, but they did know her as a singer. She was in town for a concert and she knew that Phoenix would have no objections is she dropped by his apartment with some tickets for Apollo and Trucy. Thalassa still wasn't quite sure if it was a coincidence or fate that he had taken in her daughter and hired her son, but she was thankful for it either way.

She was about to step into a building when the sound of steady tap caught her attention. It sounded like nothing more than a cane bumping against the sidewalk, but whoever carried the instrument didn't seem to need it; they're was no limp or delayed sound to the noise. Curious, Thalassa stepped away from the building and sought out the owner in the cane. It only took her a moment to locate the sound, even in the crowded area. Her blindness had left her with excellent hearing. But the sight that greeted her made her wonder if her eyesight was truly restored.

What she thought was a cane wasn't a cane at all but a staff, and the man that held it did not look like he needed walking assistance. Wearing a pair of black jeans and a simple white tee he looked like he was prepared for a day of shopping, but the determined stride in his walk suggested otherwise, his dark hair swaying with each step he took. He wasn't the youngest man in the crowd, but he certainly wasn't the oldest and as she watched him, Thalassa felt her heart jump to life.

Even without the yellow cape and top hat, even though seven years had passed since the last time she had seen him, Thalassa would recognize the swagger of the man anywhere.

Feeling as though her memories had materialized right before her, she pushed her way through the many people along the sidewalk, forgetting her intentions of shopping as she fought to catch up with the man. He was quite a few paces ahead of her and his long strides made it difficult to shorten the gap. Knowing that there was a good chance he would get lost in the mass of people before she could catch him, Thalassa picked up her pace and called out his name.

The drone of the crowd blotted out her voice, and her target continued walking. Unwilling to let him just walk on by her, Thalassa hurried after him, thoughts focused on catching her friend and nothing else. She didn't even stop to think of the fact that just as she hadn't seen him in seven years, he hadn't seen her_, _either, and that the last time they had been together he had thought she had _died_. Logical thoughts had fled from her mind, and she could only think of reclaiming a small piece of her shattered past.

Shortening the distance between them, she once again called out his name. This time, however, he heard her. Slowing to a walk, she watched as he stopped and turned around, a curious smirk on his face. She also watched as his familiar grin slipped from his face and his expression turned to absolute shock, his fingers tightening around his staff until his knuckles turned white. Thalassa stopped in front of him and though her heart was pounding in her throat, she offered the confused man a gentle smile.

"Hi, Valant." He only gaped, eyes wide as he visibly swallowed. Thalassa found her smile stretching wider, unable to deny the awkwardness of the moment but feeling oddly pleased despite it. Bringing her hand the brooch at her neck, she added softly, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Valant continued to stare, dark eyes narrowing as leaned towards to her. The wonder etched on his face deepened the closer he got. Swallowing hard, he straightened, fingers still curled tightly around his staff. Finally, he managed one simple word.

"Thalassa."

_**xxxx**_

_**A/n:**_ Why did I find it so easy to write Thalassa but not Lamiroir? Hmm. I took more liberties with back story. Thalassa has even less that Valant. Man, I wish I had some more information to go on. We seriously need some more Gramarye love, don't we? The troupe is so under appreciated...

Speaking of more Gramarye love... I am so tempted to turn this thing into a mini-series. Hah! I'm having a lot of fun with it, and there really isn't much on the troupe at all. I'm very open to suggestions. All opinions would be welcome, especially since I'm so torn what to do. And, of course, opinions on this installment would also be very appreciated.

As of now, I'm going to mark this as complete, but we'll see. Thanks so much for reading and partaking in the Valant/Troupe Gramarye love. Until next time?

- _L2G_


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